Casey Mize was activated off the 15-day injured list on Friday and is set to start against the Blue Jays on Saturday, giving the Tigers a needed arm as they try to steady a rotation hit hard by injuries. Brenan Hanifee was optioned to Toledo in Triple-A to make room for Mize’s return.
The move comes as Detroit keeps piecing together pitching depth around Tarik Skubal’s elbow injury and other absences. The Tigers entered the day at 20-25, tied for third in the AL Central and 3.5 games behind the Guardians, a position that has left little margin while they search for healthy starters and relievers who can simply take the ball.
There was at least some encouraging news beyond Mize. Will Vest worked one inning in Toledo on Thursday night during a rehab assignment and allowed no hits with one strikeout, while Beau Brieske pitched as an opener in a Triple-A game the same night and gave up one run and two hits in two innings with one strikeout. For a club that has been leaning on replacements and short-term fixes, both outings suggested the organization may soon have more options.
That need has been sharpened by the way the Tigers have played. They had lost their previous three games before Spencer Torkelson’s two-out walk-off single ended the streak Friday night, and they are 2-8 since taking two out of three against the Rangers in early May. The record has kept the focus on survival as much as any single series, even with a win finally breaking the skid.
Manager A.J. Hinch has tried to balance the immediate need with the reality of an injury-depleted roster. Asked about Ty Madden after he was hit in the right arm by a line drive in the third inning Friday, Hinch said, “We don't have anything yet. Ty was going to do a little throwing and see where he's at,” then added, “The arm's pretty swollen, so obviously we're waiting on the medical evaluation first, and if not, then we'll have a separate transaction.”
Hinch also sounded upbeat about Vest’s rehab work, calling it “awesome” and saying, “I would expect him to be a candidate as early as tomorrow, given the velocity ticked up a little bit back to his norm, and I haven't talked to him today, but I expect him to,” after the right-hander’s sharp inning in Toledo. On Brieske, Hinch said, “I mean, high-end velocity and stuff, and he did the opener thing. I mean, he got dinged for a run, but it was a good step in the right direction,” a sign the club may need every available arm before long.
Hinch has also signaled that versatility could matter as Detroit sorts through what comes next. “I mean, it didn't have to wait for five days. He did it and we've always hovered him short and long, and the versatility has always been attracted to us, so maybe. We may need it before that in a shorter stint, or we might need a length once he gets a couple days off,” he said, a reminder that the Tigers are still working without a clear map. For Mize, Saturday is another chance to help stabilize a season that has already spent too much time being pushed off course.
